I watched this movie tonight… Amazon movie. At one point I was thinking how terrible it was… how dark and depressing…But then all the pieces connected.… And then you see the beauty… the love.

That’s life… Life itself. Yes.

Some of my life’s domino pieces lately..

}1) My Mom was rushed to the hospital with what we believed to be a heart attack.

If you’ve been following me for any period of time, you know that we have a difficult relationship and history.

Hearing this news kicked all the air out of my lungs… I found myself on my knees in my kitchen.

Turned out to be broken heart syndrome.

I don’t know that it was any one particular thing… She has been caring for my dad at physical expense to her… they are elderly and have lost many loved ones… Etc. etc.

#2) Mom is home recovering but weak. We plan an early family Christmas party at their senior facility. Dinner had been eaten, and presents were being opened.

I saw my Dad slump. I don’t know if I sensed it before I saw it… I feel like I did.

He was having bad pain in his chest and down his arm. He was having trouble breathing.

One thing that is good about me… I’m great under pressure. I was by his side almost immediately. I remember family wanting to move him, and me refusing to let that happen. He didn’t want to move, and I felt like doing that was just going to cause him additional pain and stress.

One of my sister in laws said that we needed to call the paramedics… She was right. It was only when I told my oldest brother to call, that it got done.

I don’t say that to toot my own horn. I’m really just processing.

A lot of times I feel like I am overlooked or ignored within my family. I keep quiet. I keep my opinions to myself largely. Maybe that’s why it’s different when I speak up?

I don’t remember a lot of other things from that night. I remember a lot of hugs between me and my brothers. I remember walking out of the room while the paramedics were taking care of him… I remember being told not to let them see me cry. No one had to tell me that. I learned that a long time ago.

It was a very long night. Dad went from the emergency room to surgery.

Turns out the pain was diverticulitis… He had a hole in his intestines. Air was getting in the gut, and he had infection.

We left the hospital about 1 AM. He was in surgery, and we were all exhausted… So we went home presumably to sleep, and wait for the surgeons call.

My dad is 90. I couldn’t sleep. I was terrified that he wouldn’t make it through surgery.

I have some special gifts that allow me to see or know things… but this doesn’t work in regards to myself. Especially when I am distraught.

So I am feeling all kinds of freaked out… wondering if these feelings are indicators or just emotion run wild.

He made it through the surgery. It’s been 11 days in the hospital since.

I spent Christmas Day in the hospital with him. My brothers all have families of their own, and my Mom is still recovering.. so I got to spend a lot of it alone with him.

I remember thinking about other Christmas days.… Other times when I felt sorry for myself

Nothing like being faced with loss to realize all the blessings you really have in your life.

He sleeps the majority of the time. He wakes confused. Wants to know what happened… Where he is… Wants to go home.

He is always happy to see me. Truly happy. The kind you feel. I feel it.

We don’t do a lot of talking that day. Actually we haven’t done a lot of talking since. He doesn’t have much energy to speak… When he does, it’s usually in a whisper. I’m happy to be near and just watch him sleep.

He has good days and not so good days. Sometimes they are the same day. It’s hard. But it’s precious time. I know he knows we are there.

Today he was moved to a rehabilitation hospital. My brothers say 18 days there and then assisted living.

I don’t know. Dad is even more confused and upset. He wants to go home. He wants my Mom.

All my senses say he doesn’t have long. I don’t say this to my brothers. I wonder if they think I’m in denial the same way that I think they are?

I wonder if I need to tell him it’s OK to go. I wonder if I should. Mostly I think that he doesn’t want to leave my mom. I also don’t think she’s ready to let him go.

#3) plot twist. I met a guy last year that I liked, but it never seemed to go anywhere.

I think I wrote about him? I need to go see… Anyway, somewhere between life event number one and number two he contacted me again.

He told me that he owed me an apology… That he has basically been dating himself for the last year ( I can totally identify!! ) and that he had really been struggling after his mom died.

I was aware his mom had died. I had reached out.

Anyway, we texted a little bit… I remember thinking that I was just going to be completely honest and transparent… Which I was. I was really struggling and I told him that. I figured I had nothing to lose.

He told me to call him if I wanted to talk. I remember thinking, well here we go…

I’m going to be open to this person.

So I called him. We had a really good conversation. It was obvious that he had completely braced himself for anger.

I had none.

I told him I just had assumed he wasn’t interested. Why should I be angry about that?

He told me about his mom and some things that are going on in his family regarding her passing.

I told him about what was going on with my mom… And about our relationship, and the grudges I had been holding. How I was feeling that I needed to let them go..

He encouraged me to do that. And I have.

I have had some quality time with her since all this occurred. Our relationship is completely different now.

I don’t know how it works exactly… Those grudges I’ve been holding… They just fell away. It’s almost like I could literally feel the weight removed.

It’s not gone. It’s transmuted. I see those moments through different eyes. I see them now through understanding and compassion… Through knowing that they were human and did their best… they passed on what was said and done to them.

I see it knowing that none of it means anything now.

I told her the other day that my oldest brother was the sweetest and most thoughtful… And she agreed… But then she told me that I was right up there too.

And I was shocked. I don’t see myself as thoughtful. I definitely didn’t think she would. Feels

So anyway….. Back to him.

We have not talked on the phone again, but we have texted consistently. He invited me to a New Year’s Eve thing, but I had nothing left. I was running on negative fumes.

Work has been good but crazy busy. Trying to balance that with everything going on in my personal life has taken A toll.

I haven’t been sleeping. I haven’t been meditating. I haven’t taken a bath… In short, I haven’t been taking care of myself at all.

I have a long weekend ahead where I don’t have to work. I’m really hoping that I can get myself into a more Zen state.

I’m hoping we can have a second date soon.

I don’t know if this is a love connection, although I suspect it might be.

What I do know, Is that I need someone to be there for me.

I think at the very least…. he’s going to be the kind of friend I need in my life right now.

So the answer to that question… When am I going to get out of my own way?